Lose Weight with Cloves Naturally!

Written by Ahmed Zayed Helmy, MD, on June 29, 2021

Many of us desperately want to change our bodies. Most often, the reason for that is those few extra body pounds and layers of fat. Unfortunately, not many of us succeed in accomplishing our goal of weight loss. But weight loss does not have to be difficult or exhausting, especially if you have the right tools by your side. While it is obvious that you need to keep an eye on your nutrition and physical activity, there are a number of natural ingredients that have the power to induce weight loss.

One of them just so happens to be the famous, ancient spice called cloves. And that is exactly what we are here to discuss today. The following text describes all of how cloves help to induce natural weight loss.

5 Ultimate Health Benefits of Cloves

Clove is quite the versatile spice used in cooking and baking. For years now, cloves have been added to pot roasts, cookies, cakes, and even hot beverages. You may recognize cloves as one of the key ingredients for the famous gingerbread cookies and mulled wine which is so typical for the cold winter days. While being one of the main spices in Indian cuisine, cloves are commonly used as a part of traditional medicine as well (1). This aromatic spice has several important health benefits, many of which you are probably not aware of. Here are 5 of the biggest health benefits known to man.

1. Cloves are highly nutritious

Did you know that cloves provide so much more than a great flavor and aroma? In fact, they are incredibly nutritious being filled with many essential vitamins, minerals, and fiber. 2 grams of cloves, or 1 teaspoon, contains only 6 calories and 1 gram of carbs. It also contains 1 gram of fiber, up to 55 percent of the recommended daily value for manganese and 2 percent of the recommended daily value for Vitamin K (2).

2. Cloves are rich in many antioxidants

Cloves are famous for being quite the powerful antioxidants (3). Thanks to antioxidants, our body is able to eliminate oxidative stress. You may not know this but build-up oxidative stress increases your risk for multiple chronic diseases (4, 5). One essential antioxidant found in cloves is known by the name of eugenol.

A test-tube study has shown that eugenol has the power to stop the oxidative damage caused by free radicals even five times more efficiently as compared to Vitamin E (6). Vitamin E is yet another known antioxidant, but apparently not as powerful as eugenol.

3. Cloves have powerful antibacterial, antiviral, and anti-inflammatory properties

Apart from being a strong antioxidant, cloves also have valuable antibacterial, antiviral, and anti-inflammatory properties. Another test-tube study showed that clove oil effectively killed three different types of common bacteria, one of which happened to be E. coli (7). With their antibacterial properties, cloves promote good oral health. Apart from protecting you from gum disease and cavities, cloves help fight even the most persistent cough and other common infections, both viral and bacteria (8, 9).

4. Cloves help regulate your blood sugar levels

Good news for anyone struggling with diabetes! It is said that cloves can help control your blood sugar levels. An animal study from 2012 showed that clove extract helped control the blood sugar spikes in mice diagnosed with diabetes (10).

Another animal study investigated the combined effects of clove extract and nigericin which is a popular compound found in cloves. In this case, their effects were investigated on both human muscle cells and mice diagnosed with diabetes. The results showed that the clove extract and nigericin efficiently increased the uptake of sugar from the blood into the cells, but that was not all. They were also able to increase the secretion of insulin and improve the function of the insulin-producing cells. In conclusion, cloves tackle the issue of high blood sugar levels and diabetes in more than one way (11).

5. Cloves improve your poor bone health

Did you know that up to 43 million American adults in the U.S alone struggle with low bone mass? Low bone mass may lead to osteoporosis which in turn can be the cause for frequent fractures. Luckily, eugenol, which we mentioned is found in cloves, can reverse the problem. Eugenol has been scientifically proven to be able to improve several different osteoporosis markers in addition to increasing one’s bone strength (12).

But if you remember, we also mentioned cloves being rich in manganese. Manganese happens to be one of the essential minerals for good bone health. With their high manganese levels, cloves help induce bone growth and better mineral density.

Can Cloves Help You Lose Weight?

While it is more than obvious that cloves are good for you, the question of whether or not they can help stimulate weight loss remains. Maintaining a healthy weight is essential because of a few different reasons. For starters, overweight and obesity are clear causes for one too many chronic diseases. Type 2 diabetes, heart disease, heart attack, and stroke are all threatening the lives of those with unhealthy body weight. And then there is the fact that obesity is threatening one’s mental health as well. We see many people struggling with depression, anxiety, chronic stress, and low self-confidence as a result of their high body weight. Luckily, cloves can help induce weight loss, thus making it easier to shred those extra body pounds.

A 2017 study published in the Food & Function has linked the use of clove extract to a lower obesity incidence. The study was done on mice, researching the effects of the clove extract on obesity incidence as a result of a high-fat diet. The clove extract reduced the obesity incidence by influencing the total triglyceride content as well as the low-density lipoprotein cholesterol. In return, the mice who received clove extract did not only had a lower body weight, but also a lower percentage of abdominal fat and less liver fat as compared to the mice group that did not receive any clove extract (13).

Many of us struggle to lose weight due to the fact that our metabolism has slowed down. A lot of factors play a part in determining our daily metabolic rate. Our metabolism may also slow down as a side-effect of the so-called dieting and trying out different diets, many of which require you to not eat enough. Cloves are also said to be a powerful metabolism stimulant. By stimulating your metabolism, cloves act to increase the amount of burned calories, thus inducing weight loss. For the reason of speeding one’s metabolic rate, one can combine clove with cinnamon and cumin seeds, both of which also happen to be strong metabolism stimulants as well (14).

We also mentioned cloves and their role in the control of our blood sugar levels. Controlling blood sugar levels is yet another effective method for maintaining a healthy weight and preventing obesity.

Science suggests that eugenol, which we mentioned is found in cloves, is able to inhibit lipid oxidation (15). By doing so, it prevents any structural changes around vital organs including our heart, liver, and kidney. This means that cloves help to prevent the fat layering around these organs which is often the cause of many chronic health issues including obesity.

A little-known fact is that your poor digestive health can slow down your weight loss process. Problems such as constipation, bacteria overgrowth, and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) are of special importance. Because of their antibacterial and antiseptic properties, cloves can fix your digestive health and reverse these issues, thus making it easier to lose weight. Vomiting, gas, and acid reflux will no longer worry you as your digestion will be repaired and improved in just a few short days. However, it is worth mentioning that cloves may also be a potential irritant to the digestive system. Knowing that it is important to report any worsening of the present symptoms to your doctor as soon as possible in addition to getting your doctor’s approval before using cloves in any way.

And last but not least important is the ability of cloves to reduce your high cholesterol levels. Obese individuals tend to struggle with high triglycerides and “bad” cholesterol levels, while the levels of their “good” cholesterol tend to be lower than normal. These events increase one’s risk of heart disease, heart attack, and stroke. It is possible to reverse these changes through the use of an effective anti-cholestyramine such as clove and cloves extract. Normalizing your cholesterol and triglycerides levels is one of the vital steps towards achieving your weight loss goals.

As you can see for yourself, there are many ways in which clove is working to improve your health and with that, to help you lose weight. It is through some effective, science-supported methods that cloves have been linked to visible weight loss results in the past. But do not be mistaken – cloves cannot act on their own. Instead, you will still need to focus on eating clean and working out enough so that you are burning calories and fat. Pair up the power of cloves with a diet plan and physical activity of your choosing and watch as your body transforms.

How to Lose Weight with Cloves

We made it clear that cloves help induce weight loss. Now, the main question is, how to actually use cloves to achieve your ultimate weight loss goals? Cloves are used in the form of powder to prepare a traditional weight loss tea. Here are the steps of preparing a warm cup of cloves tea:

Measure 1 tablespoon of whole clove buds;
Measure 1 cup of water;
Add the water and the clove buds in a pan;
Bring the water to boil;
Boil the clove buds for 3-4 minutes;
Strain the tea;
Allow the tea to cool down;
Drink your clove tea in the morning on an empty stomach.

In all our research for this article, we have discovered a few different preparation methods. While all methods involve preparing cloves tea, there are a few distinct differences between the recipes. Some recipes, like the one that we mentioned before, involve using whole glove buds. Others include grinding the clove buds and producing clove powder. The powder is then mixed with water in order to make the weight loss tea.

Some say that cloves tea should be ingested in the morning, on an empty stomach. But there are also texts that talk about letting the clove tea cool down for as much as 4 hours and then drinking it before every meal. You may also add 1 tablespoon of cinnamon, 1 tablespoon of green tea, and/or 1 tablespoon of cumin seed to create a weight loss mixture. All of these ingredients are also famous for inducing healthy weight loss results. It is worth mentioning that cloves tea is known for its unusual taste. In case you do not like the taste, you may also add 1 tablespoon of honey to your tea.

Another popular way to use cloves for weight loss is to chew raw clove buds. In case of eating raw clove buds, make sure that you are not chewing more than 3-4 cloves per day. Start by chewing one clove daily only to gradually increase the dose up to 3-4 cloves. You may also choose to add more cloves to your everyday cooking and baking. That being said, the preferred way remains to be the cloves tea which is both hydrating and effective when it comes to weight loss and your health.

Who Should Not Use Cloves for Weight Loss?

The biggest contraindication for using cloves for weight loss is in case of an allergic reaction to cloves. If you are allergic to cloves, please consult a medical professional before using cloves. Ask for medical help in case of symptoms such as skin rash, itching, and skin redness as these are the most common allergic reaction symptoms.

Taking too much of anything, including cloves, can threaten your health. It is important to not overstep the limit of using 3-4 cloves per day, in case you chew them raw. If you are drinking cloves tea, do not drink more than 1/3 cup of tea, three times a day.

Anyone with poor digestive tract health should avoid using cloves and cloves tea. Because cloves are a known irritant to digestive health, their use can worsen any existing digestive issues. Please consult your doctor before using cloves in case of a known digestive disorder. Pregnant and lactating women are also advised against ingesting cloves and cloves tea. During pregnancy, cloves can stimulate the uterus and cause contractions. This can lead to premature labor. With cloves irritating the digestive system, they can cause digestive issues in both the breastfeeding mother and baby.

Conclusion

We all have the habit of referring to ridiculous diets when trying to lose weight. Most often, the last thing on our mind is to ask Mother Nature for help. One of the best weight loss and health remedies that she can offer is cloves. Used in everyday cooking and baking, cloves have incredible health benefits that you should not ignore. And the best of all things is the fact that cloves are doing a great job at helping you lose all that extra body fat and maintain a healthy weight. As it turns out, only one cup of delicious cloves tea can make losing weight more sustainable and easier than ever before.